Sarah is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT with over 15 years of experience, a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, and a passion for understanding how the body moves, adapts, and heals. Her interest in pregnancy, birth, and postpartum led her to focus her practice on perinatal care and women’s health. This has expanded to now include her work as a Birth Doula, bringing together her knowledge of the body with a deep understanding of the perinatal experience.

Sarah provides prenatal massage, postpartum massage (including C-section recovery), and therapeutic care for pregnant individuals, new parents, and their infants. Her approach is holistic, evidence-informed, and hands-on, with each treatment tailored to the individual and what their body.

She believes that good care starts with listening. Sarah takes the time to understand what you’re experiencing, what matters to you, and how you want to feel when you leave the treatment room. Her goal is to create a space where you can slow down, feel cared for, and trust that your treatment is designed specifically for you.

Area’s of Practice Your body can feel a little unfamiliar during pregnancy, after birth, and in those early months of caring for a baby. Maybe your hips are aching, your shoulders are carrying the weight of feeding and holding, you’re not sleeping well, or you simply miss feeling like yourself. Sarah’s practice is centred around these seasons of change, offering massage therapy for pregnant individuals, new parents, and their babies.

Whether you’re looking for relief from the physical demands of pregnancy, a chance to recover and reconnect with your body after birth, or gentle support for your infant, Sarah brings both extensive massage experience and a deep understanding of the perinatal experience.

Sarah’s Approach As both a Registered Massage Therapist and Birth Doula, Sarah brings a unique perspective to perinatal care. She understands that pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are not isolated events, but seasons of significant physical change that can affect how you move, sleep, rest, recover, and feel in your body. Her treatments look beyond the immediate area of discomfort to consider the bigger picture. She draws on her experience in massage therapy, anatomy, movement, and birth to create individualized treatments that respond to what each client needs that day. Sometimes that means focused therapeutic work; other times it means creating space for the body to slow down, restore, and recover. Sarah believes good massage therapy should be both effective and comfortable. Her approach is hands-on, evidence-informed, and collaborative, with the goal of helping clients better understand their bodies while feeling supported throughout the process. Whether she is working with a pregnant client managing new aches and pains, a new parent recovering from birth, or an infant needing gentle support, she meets each person where they are and adapts her care accordingly.

Beyond the Clinic Outside of the clinic, Sarah is usually somewhere in the mountains, planning her next adventure, or keeping up with her three kids and their dog, Nimbus. She loves being outside, travelling, and finding the balance between the beautiful chaos of family life and time to slow down, recharge, and enjoy the things that make life in the Kootenays so special.

Education University of Calgary, Bachelors of Kinesiology - 2009 Mount Royal University, Massage Therapy Diploma - 2012

Trainings & Certifications Integrated Fascial Therapies - Nine Part series - Natale Rao RMT Infant Massage - Paula Jasper RMT Pelvic Floor Therapy for the Non-Pelvic Floor Therapist - Dr. Sarah Haag Pelvic Pain Science - Reframe Rehab Level 1 - Intro to Breast Surgery - The Mastectomy Guide Massage for the Complicated Pregnancy - Paula Jasper RMT Maternal Support Practitioner (Doula) Training - Bebo Mia Two Day Foundational Workshop - Spinning Babies The Rebozo Reborn - Blissful Birth

Sarah is a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT with over 15 years of experience, a Bachelor’s degr... Read More

Vanessa is a Mastered trained Clinical Social Worker. Founder and Clinical Director of Lupine Clinical Counselling.

Clients may have various stressors, mood concerns, grief/loss, life transitions and inter-personal relationship struggles that they are seeking support for.

Vanessa also specializes in counselling individuals and their families during their journey with fertility, perinatal mental health and birth trauma.

Vanessa has worked with individuals and families in various mental health and family counselling programs for over 18 years. Her experience and passion for her specialization in her practice is drawn from 10 years working in a perinatal mental health programs as well as her own family’s journey through fertility, pregnancy and postpartum.

One’s fertility and perinatal experience can be marked with stress, anger, grief/loss, fears, anxiety, depression and difficulty in interpersonal relationships. Vanessa draws on trust and confidentiality in her practice while she supports you through self-awareness, reflection, reframing and discovering new tools to assist with your relationships, communication (often with support system and professionals), self-care, and growth during your journey.

At times it will be suggested to engage a partner or other support person in your counselling as we are most often not alone during the times of our fertility or perinatal experiences. The health of our relationships and support networks are vital to our health and coping during these often-difficult times. Vanessa can also assist with connecting you with complementary health-care practitioners, support groups, reading material and financial aid as appropriate.

It is her hope that with this support you will feel more grounded, have increased skills to manage stressors and have a plan how to move into your next life phase thriving.

Vanessa’s theoretical orientation is towards a client-centred, psycho-educational, strength-based approach and her therapeutic approaches are trauma and attachment informed and draw from training in: Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mind-Based Techniques, The Gottman Method and Family Systems Theory in her work supporting clients.

Vanessa is a Registered Social Worker with the BC College of Social Work therefore many employee benefit plans will reimburse for her services or they may be claimed on your annual income tax returns as a medical expense.

Sessions offered in-person or on-line (within the West Kootenays). Please email to inquire about booking an Initial Session.

Vanessa is a Mastered trained Clinical Social Worker. Founder and Clinical Director of Lupine Cli... Read More

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Jody Konken is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.) and Certified GAPS Practitioner who supports individuals and families from preconception through the early parenting years. She specializes in the connection between gut health, nutritional balance, and mental wellness, offering guidance that feels supportive rather than restrictive. At Lupine, Jody leads nutrition workshops that give families practical tools for vibrant health, happy tummies, and stress‑free meals.

Jody Konken is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (R.H.N.) and Certified GAPS Practitioner who su... Read More

Erica Nicoll is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (R.TCM.P), dedicated to helping individuals navigate their health and reproductive journeys. She has a special interest in supporting gynaecological health, fertility, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, motherhood, menopause, and autoimmune conditions.

By combining acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition and nervous system regulation in an environment where clients feel heard and supported.

Erica views health as a dynamic and ever-evolving process that enables individuals to adapt to life’s ongoing challenges. She is dedicated to providing compassionate, supportive care that recognizes each person’s unique experiences, needs, and circumstances. By carefully listening to her patients and observing the body’s signals, Erica works to identify the underlying patterns and factors that may be limiting the body’s natural ability to heal.

Erica integrates acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, cupping, gua sha, tui na and foundational nutrition all rooted in the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. She works with each individual to provide personalized care and support, helping them move toward greater balance.

Beyond the Clinic When not in the clinic, you will find Erica hiking, biking, skiing, or just enjoying nature with her two children, and husband.

Education

Bachelor of Arts; Majoring in Psychology & Minoring in Sociology Doctorate of Traditional Chinese Medicine Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (R.TCM.P)

She graduated with distinction from a five-year Doctorate program in Traditional Chinese Medicine from Kootenay Columbia College of Integrative Health Sciences (KCCIHS) in 2019, after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Mount Royal University in 2012.

Erica Nicoll is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner (R.TCM.P), dedicated to he... Read More

Andrea is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) (CCC) and holds a Master’s in Clinical Counselling from Adler University. Andrea has many years of community involvement including the facilitation of pre/post-natal classes, workshops and retreats.

Her therapeutic approach is client-centered, compassionate, and trauma-informed. Andrea integrates CBT, DBT, Somatic work, family systems and other evidence-based practices to help support clients through life transitions, anxiety, depression, parenting, and healing from early-life trauma.

One of Andrea’s areas of specialization is working with neurodiverse families.

Andrea brings deep compassion and authenticity to her work, informed by her own healing journey and years of personal growth. Her experiences growing up with a parent with mental illness, travelling in her youth, and her own parenting journey continue to shape her therapeutic presence.

As a mother of three, Andrea understands the challenges and growth that emerge through parenthood and postpartum experiences. She offers a compassionate space for clients to process, shift unhealthy shift patterns and reconnect with themselves.

Andrea is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) (CCC) and holds a Master’s in Clinical Counselli... Read More

About Molly

Molly’s work is grounded in a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and attachment-based lens that honours each person’s unique nervous system, history, and relational patterns.

She believes therapy works best as a collaborative process—where clients feel safe to explore how early attachment experiences shape current relationships with themselves, their partners, and their children.

Molly has a particular interest in how the body holds stress and how parts of us protect us (through Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems), Molly helps clients develop greater self-awareness, regulation, and choice in how they respond to life’s demands.

Her path to counselling grew from a deep curiosity about human resilience and a desire to offer supportive, non-judgmental care.

At Lupine, she supports individuals, couples, and families navigating anxiety, depression, complex trauma, attachment injury, parenting challenges, and relationship transitions.

Areas of Practice

Molly offers individual, couples, and family counselling that supports children (10+), youth, and adults to feel more grounded, connected, and capable in their daily lives.

She works with clients navigating:

Anxiety, depression, and stress-related concerns

Complex trauma (including CPTSD) and its impacts on relationships, self-worth, and daily functioning

Attachment injury and intergenerational patterns—supporting parents who experienced attachment wounds with their own caregivers to form healthier connections with themselves and their children

Neurodiversity (including ADHD/autism-affirming care)

Life transitions and relationship changes

Her sessions blend somatic awareness, parts work (IFS-informed), and practical cognitive-behavioural strategies to help clients build skills they can use right away—without requiring an “all-or-nothing” shift in how they live or relate.

Molly’s Approach

Molly blends evidence-based modalities with a warm, collaborative style that meets clients where they are. She integrates Somatic Experiencing and Internal Family Systems with attachment-focused, cognitive-behavioural, and narrative-informed techniques to help clients safely unpack experiences, regulate their nervous systems, and rewrite unhelpful relational patterns. What sets her apart is her ability to work across ages and relationship systems—offering both depth-oriented trauma work and practical, skills-based support in the same therapeutic container.

Beyond the Clinic

Outside of her counselling work, Molly finds joy in making music—playing and singing—and in tending to her garden and the wild spaces around her home in Nelson, BC. As a parent of a child with special needs, she brings a lived understanding of the complexities, rewards, and everyday realities that come with caregiving and advocacy. These pieces of her life keep her grounded, creative, and deeply connected to the rhythms of care, growth, and resilience she supports in her clients.

Education, Trainings & Certifications

EDUCATION Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology — Yorkville University — 2024

TRAININGS & CERTIFICATIONS Somatic Experiencing, Advanced I (2026) Internal Family Systems (IFS), Level I Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) – Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA)

About Molly Molly’s work is grounded in a trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming, and attachm... Read More

Joanna is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) who is Masters trained and is accepting new clients both in person and on-line through Lupine Clinical Counselling

She is currently completing a certificate in Perinatal Mental Health through CPMHT and is passionate in supporting individuals and their families during the Perinatal period of their life including reproductive health, prenatal/postpartum depression and anxiety, birth trauma, relationship challenges, parent-child relationships, and life transitions.

Joanna has trained in a variety of evidence-based therapy approaches including Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and numerous trainings practicing therapy from a trauma informed lens.

Joanna’s approach to counselling is rooted in empathy, compassion, acceptance, insight and empowerment. Through a holistic and client-centered approach Joanna will work with you to develop therapy focus and goals, to help build inner strength, create new self awareness, cultivate positive self-regard, and explore various thoughts and behaviours that may be limiting to one’s overall health and wellbeing. Joanna believes in the value of exploring all pieces of one’s story and collaboratively finding effective coping strategies and inner resilience to move through any of life’s challenges.

Joanna graduated in 2023 with a Master of Counselling having completed a 400 hour counselling internship with Elspiri Counselling and co-facilitated a Post-Partum Group with Vanessa Dowell. In addition to her therapy training Joanna has over 15 years working in the social services sector with adults, youth, children and families; most recently 10 years working at Nelson Community Services. Joanna was also previously a DONA certified doula and practiced as a Doula in the Kootenays.

Joanna raises her two young children alongside her partner on their homestead outside of Nelson. Joanna enjoys spending time with friends and family, gardening, swimming, reading and getting outdoors as much as possible.

Joanna is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) who is Masters trained and is accepting new clie... Read More

Sara Westnedge is a Master’s Counselling student (Providence University) currently completing her clinical practicum at Lupine Clinical Counselling with supervision from Vanessa Dowell MSW, RSW.

She provides a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space for individuals seeking healing, growth, and a deeper exploration of their unique life stories.

Areas of Practice

● Core Support: Specializes in navigating anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. ● Life Transitions: Guides individuals through major personal and professional shifts. ● Family Systems: Focuses heavily on supporting children, parents, and families. ● Adoption Care: Offers specialized, empathetic support for families impacted by adoption. ● Cultural Identity: Helps clients navigate complex, multicultural identities, drawing from her personal experience living and working in East Africa.

Therapeutic Approach

Sara blends evidence-based therapeutic modalities with deep empathy to walk alongside clients during their healing journeys. She believes in collaborative exploration, helping clients safely unpack their experiences, emotions, and histories to foster lasting resilience.

Beyond the Clinic

Sara lives with her husband and children in Nelson. When she is not studying or supporting clients, Sara is deeply engaged in her community through local volunteer work. She can also be found cheering loudly for her children at their various activities or relaxing with a cozy mystery novel.

Sara Westnedge is a Master’s Counselling student (Providence University) currently completing her... Read More